Injustice: A Change In Fate
by Snafu the Great
Summary: Alfred met a violent end at the hands of Victor Zsasz, with Superman being the culprit. But what if Alfred survived his confrontation with the serial killer in Year Five of the Regime's reign? And what choices Damian Wayne makes when discovered with the truth behind Alfred's attack?
1. Chapter 1

**Injustice: A Change In Fate (or, The Redemption of Damian Wayne)**

An Injustice Three-Shot Fanfic (maybe)

By Snafu the Great

DISCLAIMER: Injustice: Gods Among Us and Injustice 2 belong to Netherrealm Studios. So this story follows both the games and the comics, but with my own spin. My first Injustice fanfic, and on my birthday, too! Granted that my birthday was on the 4th, but still...

CANON DIVERGENCE! Damian always had a soft spot for Alfred. So what if Alfred's survival was instrumental to not only his personal redemption, but also rebuilding bridges with his father? And what part does Red Hood have in the story?

 **Part One**

Gotham City – Year Five of the One Earth Government.

The last place anyone would find him would be inside the executive office of WayneTech. For Jason Todd, it was a perfect hiding spot.

The largest tower in Gotham sat silent, and has been for five long years. After Superman exposed Batman's identity and seized his business, that is. Jason suspected that Damian might had something to do with that.

Five years and the old man and his Insurgency was still fighting the Regime. Batman being the David to Superman's Goliath. And despite the bodycount that the Regime was racking up, from Green Arrow to Hawkman, the League followed Superman like lemmings.

'At least the old man fights for a cause,' Jason thought as he sat at Bruce's desk, having long since ransacked, the Red Hood helmet sat on the desk, resting alongside his guns, loaded.

In all honesty, he didn't know why he was back in Gotham. Crime was down to near-zero, thanks to Superjerk and his Regime. What remained of Gotham's rogues were underground, or relocated to a different city. Maybe it was to check out old haunts, back where he used to patrol with the old man.

Or maybe it was the warning Dick Grayson - now the new Deadman - had given him from beyond the grave, telling him to go to Gotham, as Alfred was in danger.

Jason knew that his dip in the Lazarus Pit had made him a bit crazy, but not THAT crazy. Then, word reached him of Victor Zsasz's mysterious release from the Regime's superprison in San Francisco from a contact with close connections inside the Regime.

That didn't sit right with the Red Hood. For him, there was going far, and going too far.

Something that Superman had done just two days ago, when he crashed a meeting of student activists dubbed, 'the Joker Underground.' Even Jason had to admit that invoking the name of the man who sent Superman off the deep end when he killed his family and nuked his hometown was stupid, but what Superman had done was overkill.

And Jason videotaped the entire event. Superman had used his heat vision to massacre the gathering of students. The Regime spun it that the deaths were written off as a 'gas explosion.' Only Jason has the damning evidence showing that Superman was a mass murderer.

Jason checked on his pistols. They were cleaned, and most importantly, loaded. Standing up, he holstered his weapons and grabbed his helmet. Once his identity was concealed, it was a quick drop to the underground garage, where his motorcycle was hidden. After that, a ten-minute trip to Wayne Manor. Since there was a curfew in effect, there would be no traffic.

He just hoped that he wouldn't give Alfred a heart attack when he arrived.

The Batcave.

One thing for certain, Superman was a coward. This, Alfred knew, which is why he found a homicidal madman lurking inside the Batcave, his skin covered in notches from his many, many kills, a glistening hunting knife in one hand and a maniacal gleam in his eyes.

Alfred gripped the steel baton in his hand. He knew that it wouldn't stop him, and Master Bruce was four thousand miles away, hiding in Alaska.

"Make this easy on yourself, old man," Zsasz rasped, the anticipation of murdering the Bat's closest confidant giving him a greater high than the rest of his hundred-plus victims. "Somewhere in that limey head of yours, you know where I can find Batman."

"Even if I had that information," Alfred replied, "I'd never tell you, Zsasz."

Zsasz's grin nearly split his face in two. "Oh...I was hoping you'd say that." He lunged at Alfred, who hopped back, striking Zsasz in the shoulder with his baton, which was followed by Alfred parrying the knife swing with the baton.

"You move pretty well for an old man," Zsasz complimented. He gestured to the numerous notches on his body. "Since you know all of Batman's secrets, I suppose you know what these notches mean, right?"

"Yes. And I'd rather not become one of them," Alfred deadpanned.

Zsasz lunged again. Alfred sidestepped him, but wasn't fast enough to dodge the cut Zsasz made into his side. "Then you got two choices, old man: tell me where Batman is hiding, or become the mark." The second slash had cut Alfred's arm to the bone. "One call, old man...and you get to live." The third slash was to Alfred's leg, making the older man stagger. "The more you resist, the more painful it will be. All the more fun for me."

A hard kick to the chest knocked Alfred down to the floor. "Last chance, old man. Call Batman, and you get to live."

Alfred backed away, pulling his injured leg. "Who sent you?" he demanded.

"Why, the Devil himself," Zsasz replied, as he prepared to deliver the killing blow with the blade...

...just as a gloved hand reached out and grabbed his hand.

Zsasz grinned. "Well, well, well. Saved by the Bat." He turned around.

It wasn't Batman.

* * *

Five minutes earlier...

The front door being kicked in wasn't a good sign. Jason cut the ignition from his bike and kicked the kickstand out, setting the bike in place. Unholstering one of his pistols, Jason cautiously stepped inside.

"Hello?" he called out. "Alfred?"

That was when he heard the commotion from inside the Batcave. The hidden passageway inside the study was still open, providing Jason quick access to the Batcave.

What he saw made his blood boil. Victor Zsasz was here, all right. And he was fighting the old man's butler, trying to get the location of his whereabouts from him. And Alfred was on the losing end of this fight.

Fortunately for the Brit, he had a guardian angel, and it wasn't Batman.

Zsasz was so focused on Alfred that he didn't notice the Red Hood creeping behind him. But Alfred did.

And Zsasz was only aware of him when he reached out and stopped him from killing Alfred.

"Well, well, well. Saved by the Bat." Zsasz turned his head to face the newcomer. His glee turned to shock upon staring at the Red Hood.

"No," Jason growled. "I'm not Batman."

Zsasz yanked his hand free and took a swipe at the Red Hood. His blade bounced off harmlessly against the vigilante's armor. The hard punch to Zsasz's face broke his nose, making the serial killer stumble backwards. As much as Jason wanted to torture Zsasz, Alfred's survival took precedence. Pulling out one of his pistols, he fired three consecutive shots; the first into Zsasz's hand that was holding the knife, making him drop the knife, the second and third into Zsasz's kneecaps, effectively taking him out the fight.

The boot to the head silenced Zsasz for the moment. With the psychopath neutralized, Jason turned his attention to Alfred.

"Thank...thank you," Alfred groaned.

"Save your strength, Pennyworth," Jason said. "We need to stop the bleeding."

"First-aid kit," the wounded Englishman said. "It's..."

Alfred didn't get the chance to finish the sentence, as Jason was on his way to the emergency station, where he retrieved two first-aid kits.

"This field dressing's not my best work," the Red Hood said as he began to tend to Alfred's wounds, "but it should be enough to get you out of here."

"You've been here before," Alfred noted. "You knew where the medical kits were."

"You can say that. My relationship with the old man is...complicated." Jason tore Alfred's pants leg and began to dress the wound. "We go way back, Bats and I. We even got some history together too."

Before Alfred could inquire further, footsteps were heard coming down the stairs, accompanied by singing.

" _Happy birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you..._ "

"It's Master Damian," Alfred whispered. "Master Bruce's son."

" _Happy birthday, dear Alfred..._ " Damian then stopped singing. "Oh, wait. Nothing rhymes with Alfred. Heh, don't even know if it's your birthday."

He looked older, Jason realized, as he stepped into view, holding a birthday present in his hands, shaggy hair that was once cut short, the trenchcoat hiding his Nightwing armor, his face lacking the mask that accompanied it.

" _Happy birthday to…_ " Damian stopped as he took in the sight before him. First, was Victor Zsasz, injured and unconscious. Second, was Alfred, also injured, and in great pain. Third, was the masked vigilante that was tending to Alfred's wounds.

Damian dropped the present and in an instant, the electrified eskrima sticks favored by the late Dick Grayson were in his hands, having slid them down his sleeves. Jason reacted as fast, pulling out his pistol and aiming it at the renegade Wayne.

"Master Damian, no!" Alfred barked out. "He saved my life!"

"This man is wanted by the Regime, Pennyworth!" Damian pointed to Zsasz. "And what the hell is he doing here? He was locked away in Alcatraz!"

"He saved me from Zsasz, Master Damian," Alfred clarified. "He's not our enemy. If he was, then I would be dead by now."

"You're welcome, by the way," Jason added. "I was hoping for the old man, but you'll do."

"Sorry, but I don't trust a vigilante who sent thirty Regime soldiers to the hospital, Pennyworth," Damian sniped.

"More like fifty," Jason corrected. He reached up and pressed a button on the side of his helmet. A soft hiss was heard as his helmet loosened enough for him to remove it with his free hand, tossing it at Alfred's feet.

Damian's eyes nearly bugged out of his skull. "Ja...Jason?!" His voice was laced in disbelief.

"Master Jason?" Alfred repeated.

Jason lowered his gun and turned to Alfred, allowing the butler to get a good look at his face. "Been a while, Al." He was older, with a shock of white hair in his black, the domino-style mask now red instead of black, the eyes showing the same intensity as his predecessor.

"You're...alive?" Damian whispered. "How…?"

"Oh, I did die," Jason confirmed as he holstered his gun. "The Joker saw to that. I got your grandpa and mom to thank for my second lease on life." He snapped his fingers. "Oh, that reminds me..."

Damian was still stupefied as Jason walked over to him. He was literally knocked out of his shock as Jason slugged him across the face.

"Master Jason!" Alfred groaned from the strain as he held his side.

Wringing out his hand, smirking as Damian was knocked down, Jason added, "That was for Dick."

"Dammit...that was an accident!" Damian shouted as he got back to his feet.

"I know. And it's because of that detail that I don't send your head back to your boss." Jason turned and walked back to Alfred.

Damian followed him, but at a slower pace. He looked at Zsasz, still unconscious. Why the hell was he here? "It makes no sense." Damian was pacing the floor, while Jason continued to tend to Alfred's wounds. "Zsasz was locked up in Alcatraz. Hal brought him there. How did he get out? And how did he get in the Batcave? Superman had the main entrance blocked off."

"He used...the hidden entrance from the greenhouse, Master Damian," Alfred grunted. "Only six people know of that entrance. Myself, Your father, Master Dick, the both of you..."

"...and Superman," Damian finished, eyes widening in realization. He looked at the injured Zsasz, then back at Alfred. The gears began to turn in Damian's head as he began to connect the dots together. It was starting to form a picture that Damian did not like, nor wanted to believe. "Superman...Clark...no...he promised me! Gave me his word that you wouldn't be harmed!"

"Superman came here...a couple of days ago," Alfred confessed. "Demanded to know where your father was. I refused to tell him anything." He pointed one bloody hand to the Batcomputer. "There's a recording of the encounter. One week ago today. He didn't know I recorded him."

Damian stormed over to the supercomputer and activated it. Following Alfred's orders, he found the footage in question. And it rocked him to his very core.

 _"Alfred Pennyworth."_

 _"Clark Kent. Sorry, I meant High Councilor. Common courtesy requires one should knock before entering. Although in your case, it seems that your senses have taken leave of you long ago. Suppose it's my fault that I expected better from the High Councilor."_

 _"You think I'm insane, Alfred? Is that it?"_

 _"In my position, I choose not to say what I really think."_

 _"Yet, you had plenty to say to Damian regarding me. 'My life is ruled by fear.' Is that right?"_

 _"Master Damian – regardless of his relationship with his father – always valued my advice. I suppose my comments are the reason why you're here. Either to offer your seething disapproval of my comments, or to bully me to retracting my statements."_

 _"I don't care what you think, old man. Or where you came from or what you've done in your past. You know where Bruce is, and that is what I care about. Where is he?"_

 _"You're mistaken again. And even if I knew where Master Bruce is, I wouldn't tell you."_

 _"You wouldn't want to upset me, Pennyworth."_

 _"So I've been told. Tell me...are you still feeling the sting of the headbutt I gave you?"_

 _"Tell me where Batman is, so I can end this pointless war, Pennyworth. Now."_

 _"Sigh. It seems that my age is catching up to me. As much as I want to continue this conversation, I can't. Seeing as how you let yourself in, you know the way out."_

 _"We're not done here, Pennyworth."_

 _"Good night, Master Kent."_

Damian's heart was lodged in his throat as the footage ended. He turned to Alfred. "My God...I...I didn't know...I almost killed you...I told him what you said..."

"Say what you want about your dad, but at least he fights for a cause," Jason snarked. He looked at Alfred. "Pretty ballsy standing up to Superjerk, old man." His smirk turned somber. "There's more." He fished out a flash drive and tossed it to Damian, who caught it. "I arrived in town about a week ago, and had time to walk around the city. I was perched on a rooftop when I shot this."

Damian loaded the data from the flash drive onto the computer. Within seconds, the image of Superman hovering over a warehouse in Gotham City was on the screen. He had crashed a gathering of the Joker Underground, and things went south in a hurry. The High Councilor's face was a mask of rage as he used his heat vision to immolate the people inside, the screams clearly heard from where Jason shot the footage.

"Two hundred people...burned alive," Jason said in a somber tone as the footage ended. "They were just regular people. Still think you're the hero in this? That siding Superman was better than Batman? 'Die a hero, or live long enough to become the villain.'"

Damian remembered that line. It was something his father had once told him and Dick.

"It's not your fault, Master Damian," Alfred groaned.

"I...I thought we were the heroes in this whole mess. That Father and the Insurgency were the villains here. Superman really didn't care about me. He allowed me to remain out of spite." He grabbed his head in frustration. "What have I done?!"

His self-loathing was cut off when a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders and spun him around.

"Listen to me, Damian." Jason's eyes bore into the younger man's own. "We all made mistakes. Some more than others. Only thing we can do is own up to them." He looked at Zsasz. "First things first. We need to deal with him."

Damian turned to Zsasz. In an instant, Jason felt one of his pistols being yanked out of the holster. Gun in hand, Damian stormed over to the serial killer. A hard stomp to Zsasz's knee brought him back to consciousness. He looked at Damian and gave him a bloody grin. "Wayne's little bastard. Made Daddy proud when you sided with Superman, didn't ya?"

Damian jacked the slide back, and saw the bullet in the chamber. He snapped it back into place, and put a bullet into Zszaz's leg. The bald-headed criminal screamed in pain. He screamed even louder when Damian stepped on the wound. "I was brought up in the League of Assassins. I know at least eighteen ways to destroy you. Confirm to me what I already know. Confess, and I'll make it quick."

"Heh-heh-heh." Zsasz spat on the floor. He knew he was a dead man anyway, so he confessed. "Fine. It was Superman who gave the order to have me freed. He told me to make the old man talk, and to spare him if he gave up your daddy's location. I was gonna kill him anyway, despite what Superman told me. Had the perfect spot chosen for my mark and everything. It was just business. Nothing personal."

His laughter was cut off with a single bullet to the head. "It was all personal to me," Damian said as he lowered the gun. Reaching into his jacket, Damian pulled out a phone. It wasn't the official phone used by high-ranking members of the Regime, but rather a burn phone.

"You're not calling your Regime buddies, are ya?" Jason asked in a wary tone. "'Cause you do know that Supes will kill Pennyworth just to get to Batman, right?"

"I'm not calling him. Or Bruce," Damian replied. He punched in a number that he had memorized from memory. It didn't take long for the line to be connected.

"Damian?" The person on the other line knew who he was almost instantly.

"I need your help. Pennyworth was attacked. Superman tried to have him killed in order to smoke Father out, and Pennyworth is hurt bad. Do you have anyone close by?"

"I do. E.T.A. is five minutes."

Damian snapped the phone shut and put a bullet into the phone, destroying it. By this time, Jason was finishing up with Alfred.

"I'm sorry, Alfred. Superman promised me...I didn't know..." Damian began as he knelt alongside the butler.

"I'm not dead yet, Master Damian," Alfred grunted, the emergency injection of morphine Jason had given him dulling the pain.

"I got an evac coming, Alfred. Hold on."

"I'm not going anywhere, Master Damian. Someone has to keep you and you father from trying to kill each other." Alfred grasped Damian's hand in his own. It was clammy and cold. "Your father...knows that what happened in Arkham was an accident. He only saw you joining the Regime as a betrayal. It took me everything to convince him not to disown you outright."

"Save your strength, Pennyworth. Don't speak." In all honesty, Damian did not want to hear nothing about his father. Not at the moment, at least.

"Your father is stubborn, but so are you," Alfred pressed on. "He will find out what has happened here. He always does. Now, your meeting with him is inevitable. You and your father must make amends, for my sake."

Had it been anyone else, Damian would've told them to shove it. But he couldn't deny Pennyworth anything.

First things first, he and Jason needed to get Alfred out of Gotham.

* * *

The Watchtower, sometime later.

The image of Victor Zsasz's corpse cold on the Batcave's floor dominated the screen of the meeting room inside the Hall of Justice.

Behind his stoic demeanor, Superman did not like this image. Zsasz was a means to an end, yet here he was, dead as a doornail, and Alfred was nowhere in sight. On top of that, Damian wasn't answering his hails.

"I managed to hack into the Batcomputer and pull this," Cyborg said. "Victor Zsasz's motive was pretty clear. He wanted to find Batman, and planned on killing Mr. Pennyworth for the info."

"It's clear someone put him up to this," Wonder Woman noted with concern. While she had her problems with Batman, she actually liked the butler.

"How the hell did he get out?" Yellow Lantern inquired. "I personally delivered Zsasz to prison a week ago."

"When we determine that," Superman replied, "we'll both have answers. As tragic as this, Alfred put himself in danger due to his loyalty to Bruce."

"Ally or not, Sinestro's been the gatekeeper and Warden of the superprison. We can't rule him out as a suspect," Cyborg noted.

"What is to be done regarding Pennyworth?" Hawkgirl asked.

"If he is alive, then I want him found," the High Councilor ordered. "Search the hospitals in Gotham. If Zsasz wounded him, then he can't get very far. If Bruce finds out about this – and he will – he will come out of hiding. Don't allow your personal feelings to get in the way of your jobs. You are ordered to take him down."

"What about Damian?" Flash asked. "He's not answering his hails."

"Speak of the Devil..." The image of Zsasz changed to that of Damian Wayne, clad in his Nightwing armor, the background black, "...and he will appear."

"Damian," Superman greeted. "You did not answer our calls. We were worried. Zsasz attacked Alfred. We don't know where he is."

"I do." Damian's voice was eerily calm, yet cold. "He's here. With me."

It was subtle, but Damian saw the look of surprise on Superman's face. "You're not on the Regime frequency, Damian." Cyborg noted.

"I know. I had the line jacked. Oh, and don't try and trace the call, Victor," Damian added. "You're just wasting your time. I'm not in Gotham."

"What is the meaning of this, Damian?" Wonder Woman asked. "All this secrecy...I expected it from your father."

"It's necessary on my end, Diana. For my protection, as well as Alfred's." He turned to Superman. "Zsasz talked. He spilled his guts before I spilled his." His eyes narrowed. "You promised me, Clark. You gave me your word when I joined you. No harm was to come to Pennyworth."

"Damian..." Superman began.

"Only you have the authority to get Zsasz sprung from the superprison. You put him up to it. You had him to try and do your dirty work. All because you didn't like what he told me about Bruce."

Superman was aware that Diana and the others were looking at him. He ignored them. "A likely story, Damian."

"Really?" Damian's face changed to that of Superman's confrontation with Alfred. Only when the footage ended and Damian brought back the Regime, looks of shock were on their faces.

"You broke your promise to me, Clark," Damian deadpanned. "You tried to have Pennyworth killed out of spite."

Superman growled. "I did what I have to do to stop this war. This war with your father has gone on long enough. If I have to smoke him out by killing his beloved manservant, then I will do so. My only regret was not doing the job myself."

"Guess that makes my decision to leave a lot easier, then."

"So what happens now?" Superman sneered. "You're gonna go back to Bruce? Beg for his forgiveness? You got red on your ledger, Damian. The Insurgency won't have you."

"I know. I'm not going to join my father," Damian replied. "But Alfred needs a protector. I can't trust any of you with this responsibility. Therefore, it falls onto me."

"You walk down this path, Damian, and what happens next is on you," Superman threatened. "But...should you return to the Watchtower and surrender – with Alfred – then I'll show the both of you leniency."

"In that case, then consider this my resignation. As to your threat...come and get me if you can." Damian then ended the call, his image being replaced by that of the One Earth Government.

Superman's hand balled into a fist. His eyes glowed red before he closed them and took several deep breaths to calm himself down. No need to go and wreck the place.

"Clark?"

Wonder Woman's voice and her hand on his brought him out of his rage. He opened his eyes, now back to normal. "Damian Wayne is now an enemy of the state. Effective immediately," Superman said in a voice as cold as his Frost Breath. I want him and Pennyworth found. And if Damian resists, then lethal force is authorized."

He turned and stormed out of the meeting room. No one dared to stop him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two**

Snafu's Notes: As you can guess, I'm drawing inspiration from the comics and the games. Which means the events at Arkham as somewhat conflicting. So here's the solution, as I'm following the events in Injustice 2 mostly: Batman and Nightwing arrive at Arkham. Bats fight Wonder Woman, while Nightwing fights Robin. Bats wins, while Nightwing loses. The events inside the asylum take place as seen in Injustice 2, only Calendar Man takes Zsasz's place as Robin kills him. Batman defeats Robin. Robin chews Batman out. Nightwing attempts to intervene, and Damian lashes out, smacking Nightwing in the head. Nightwing dies as he does in the comic.

Finally, this story won't be a three-parter. Five parts, at the most.

Unknown Location

Damian sat in front of the monitor, now dark, his intentions having been made clear to Superman and the Regime.

For the second time ever since the destruction of Metropolis, he had come to his personal Rubicon. There was no turning back now. Like his father, Damian Wayne was a wanted man. And given his background in the League of Assassins, he was just as dangerous, if not more so than his father.

Superman didn't deny his accusations. He had outright admit in having Zsasz try and kill Alfred. The video of the confrontation between the Tyrant of Steel and the Wayne family butler and the footage Jason had shot of Superman butchering the protesters was the final nail in the coffin.

" _One life is all it takes, Damian. It's easier to succumb to the darkness than to climb out. Believe me. I know."_

Those were his father's words. He had thought Batman to be a coward for not killing the Joker, for not killing criminals. Now, as much as Damian hated to admit, his father was right. He watched Superman fall, his obsession regarding Batman becoming his ultimate objective, and his attempt on Alfred's life...

At least Alfred was safe. That was the most important thing. But now what? It was a given that Superman wanted his head on a stake for his defection and screwing up his plans to break Batman.

Not that Damian had done his fair share already. His fall into the darkness began when he killed Calendar Man at Arkham. Which was immediately followed by Dick Grayson trying to calm things down. Which ultimately led to his death.

" _You still don't get it, do you? We're at war with these animals! You think you're better than him?! You could've stopped the Joker from killing at any time! Now look what's happened! You couldn't save Lois! You couldn't save Jason! You failed Metropolis! You failed EVERYONE!"_

" _Robin! That's enough!"_

For the first time in his life, Damian Wayne was lost.

She was waiting for him outside when he made the call to Superman. She heard everything. Leaning up against the wall, arms folded, clad in her signature black catsuit, beautiful, due to her Chinese-Arab ancestry, and even more dangerous than Damian.

She was his mother, after all.

"Are you okay, son?" Talia asked.

"Honestly, Mother? No. I'm not," her son admitted.

"Walk with me."

Without a single word, Damian fell into line beside his mother.

Damian fell in step with his mother down the corridor. "You look troubled," Talia noted.

Damian could only nod. Between keeping Alfred alive and the League-assisted evac from the Batcave, troubled was an understatement. Superman almost had Alfred killed because of him. He wanted not only to break Batman, but also himself. But most importantly, he was thinking about how he burned his bridges with his father.

"How's Alfred?" Damian asked.

"Weak, but stable," Talia replied. "He was cared for by the finest medics the League has on call. He will live, but need time to recover. Jason and Althanasia are keeping watch over him." A pause. "I have sent a message to Luthor. Your father will arrive tomorrow."

Damian sulked. Talia stopped walking. "You knew that by saving his manservant, that this encounter was inevitable."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it." Damian huffed. "He tried to reach out to me, during our battle with Diana's family. Before Alfred...I hated him. Maybe I still do."

Talia could only fathom a guess. "You believe that he still blames you for Dick's death, and that he hasn't forgiven you. That, and he favors you over him."

Damian could only nod.

"I don't blame your father for how he reacted," Talia said. "If the roles were reversed...if I was in Batman's place and you were in Dick's, then I would have reacted the same way. When you have children of your own, Damian, you will understand. You will move the heavens and earth to make sure they're safe."

"I messed up, Mother. I almost got Pennyworth killed. Ever since I joined the Regime, I always thought that Superman was a better father than Bruce ever was. Now...Superman is anything but." He then stopped in his tracks. "Wait...Luthor knew where Father was the entire time?"

Talia smirked. "He should. Luthor is funding the Insurgency, after all. And I also have a hand in it."

Damian looked at his mother as if she was speaking in Ra's voice.

"His hideout in the Pacific Northwest is one of many League hideouts under my control," Talia explained. "And your grandfather and aunt are not big fans of the Regime. Especially after the crackdown and Sinestro killing a large number of his men."

Damian shook his head. "You know...if I was still with the Regime, I'd see this as a betrayal. But after what Superman tried to do..." He couldn't finish as he pulled a stubborn face and walked away, heading for Alfred's room.

Talia sighed. She could only hope that her son and Bruce try and not kill each other once the Wayne patriarch arrives.

* * *

Insurgency Hideout – Pacific Lead Mines

The news rocked Bruce Wayne harder than one of Superman's punches. Even Barbara Gordon and Katherine Kane were shocked by this unexpected turn of events.

Damian Wayne, Bruce's rebellious son and a hardcore Regime loyalist, has defected. The reasons why made Bruce's blood boil. Superman had tried to get Victor Zsasz to murder Alfred out of spite. All because Superman disliked what Alfred had told his son.

Lex Luthor's image was on the screen – a picture in a picture – as Batman, Batgirl and Batwoman watched the footage of Superman's confrontation with Alfred and Zsasz's murder attempt on Alfred days later. Lex was able to obtain copies of the footage. But if that didn't convince Bruce, the news feed showing that Damian Wayne was now a wanted man did its job...albeit reluctantly.

After so many losses...so many lives lost...now there was hope.

"His obsession over capturing you and ending the Insurgency has made him desperate," Luthor said as the video ended. "On top of that, Damian's defection and the truth behind Zsasz's escape has damaged Superman's standing with the others."

"Damian and Jason had help in getting Alfred out of Gotham," Bruce said. "I know it wasn't Selina or Harley."

"You're right," Luthor confirmed. "It was Talia."

"Talia Al Ghul?" Barbara clarified. "Damian's mother?"

"One in the same," the bald-headed man replied. "When Damian left you for the Regime, Talia found out, and asked me to keep tabs on him. Even went as far as to give Damian a hidden burn phone to use in case he needed to flee."

"Any idea where they're at now?" Kate asked.

"Knowing Talia, she'll contact me," Bruce said. "She was upset that Damian and I found ourselves on opposing sides. Despite all that's happened, she hoped that Damian and I reconcile."

"Damian screwed up in more ways than one, Bruce," Luthor said. "There's plenty of bad blood between the two of you. All he wanted was for you to trust him the same way you trusted Dick. To move out of your shadow."

"He already had that trust, Lex," Bruce said in a calmer tone. "He just didn't realize it."

"Maybe now, you and Damian can rebuild bridges," Lex suggested. "I mean, he left the Regime at a great risk. He and Jason saved Pennyworth's life. And Damian values and respects Alfred as much as you do."

"The last time Damian and I talked was back with the fiasco with the Greek gods. When I tried to get him to reconcile, he refused," Bruce replied. "He's skilled, yes, but unpredictable."

"Now you and Damian got something in common. You're both fugitives," Luthor noted in a dry tone. He turned his head from the screen. "Wait a sec...a message. From Talia. It's..." He paused, and frowned. "Coordinates?"

"Give them to me," Bruce ordered.

"Umm...thirty-one-point-eighteen-ten degrees north, thirty-five-point-seventy-seventeen degrees east. There's also a message, addressed to you. 'Alfred and Damian are here. The Regime does not know. Come alone.'" Lex turned back to Bruce, only to find him chuckling softly. "Bruce?"

"Kerak Castle, Jordan," Bruce said. "There's an underground League of Assassins safehouse there. Talia is half-Arab, and the safehouse also serves as her private hideaway."

"How do you know that?" Barbara asked.

"I was married to her, for a time," Bruce explained. "Before I found out about her father and his plans for me." He stood up. "Keep me informed, Lex."

Lex nodded and ended the call.

"Now what?" Barbara asked.

"Now, I check on Alfred," Bruce turned and walked away. "I should be back in a couple of days."

"Give Alfred our regards," Kate said.

Bruce nodded and walked out of the room.

* * *

Gotham City, at the same time…

There is an old saying that goes "It is better to be at the Devil's side, rather than in his path."

But in the case of Selina Kyle, just steering clear of the Devil and wait until this war between the Regime and the Insurgency was good enough for her. Oh yeah, she was flirting with the idea of joining the Regime after leaving Batman and his dying Insurgency, not to be on the winning team, but rather as an act of self-preservation.

That was, until she got the call from Talia Al Ghul. In all honesty, she didn't know what shocked her more: the fact that Alfred was attacked at Wayne Manor and nearly killed on Superman's orders, or that Damian Wayne had defected from the Regime upon discovering the truth, and was now a wanted man.

Catwoman and Talia had a rocky relationship, with Bruce being the center of it all. But Talia offered an unofficial truce between the two women, as if there wasn't one already.

So she weighed her options. Join the Regime, and there would be a slight chance that Superman would kill Batman. After hearing about how Superman massacred 200 protesters from Harley and Batwoman, who had seen Superman fly off after performing the deed, Selina decided that joining Superman and his team of bad guys was not in her best interest.

No. The best thing to do was to hide in plain sight and keep her head down. While she knew when to quit, Bruce didn't. But he always had an ace up his sleeve. He wouldn't have one otherwise.

And maybe, if he won this war, apologize for ditching him the way she did.

* * *

The Watchtower – 36 hours after Damian's defection…

Diana stood by as Cyborg delivered his report to Superman.

"So far, Wayne Manor and the Batcave is silent," Cyborg reported. "Aside from Zsasz's corpse, we did find the security footage of the confrontation between Pennyworth and Zsasz." He brought it up on the screen.

Superman watched the fight between Alfred and Zsasz without emotion. His expression did not change when the Red Hood made his appearance and saved the butler's life. It still remained stoic as the Red Hood revealed his identity. Only then, did the video ended abruptly.

"That's all I got. Footage ended there," Cyborg concluded. "The Red Hood's identity has been confirmed as Jason Todd, Dick Grayson's successor to the Robin mantle. But he was confirmed KIA by the Joker years ago."

"Apparently, it didn't stick," Superman said. "Damian had help from an outside source, and it could be him. We can rule out Batman, at least."

"What about his mom and grandpa?" Cyborg suggested.

"Talia and Ra's Al Ghul..." Superman pondered the possibility. "Has there been any League activity?"

"Not since Damian took down the attack group of League ninjas back in Bludhaven. Ra's and his daughters have been silent. Either that, or we didn't view them as a threat due to the war with the Insurgency. And Batman's history with Talia is well-known."

"Bruce wouldn't go to the League for help," Superman mused. "Too much bad blood between him and the Al Ghuls regarding Talia. Anything else?"

"Selina Kyle was seen in Gotham, but we lost her trail. She's up and vanished."

Superman nodded. "Thank you, Victor. You may go."

Once Diana was alone with Superman, she walked over to him as he turned back towards the Earth. "I warned you, Clark. I warned you that the last thing you wanted to do was to turn allies into insurgents. And Damian Wayne is the last person you want as an Insurgent."

"I took him in," Clark growled. "I took him in when his father threw him aside. I was the father he wanted, but never got. And this is how he repay me?!"

"You gave him no choice." Diana didn't back down when Superman spun on her. "I was there when Damian formally agreed to join us when you promised him no harm would come to Alfred."

"And I kept my word," Superman defended. "I wouldn't harm Alfred. Zsasz's on the other hand...and it's clear that Zsasz failed."

"And now, what we've worked for is starting to unravel," Diana pointed out. "Damian knows all our secrets. Our weaknesses. Should Batman relents and take him back, he can destroy everything we have worked for."

"And what should I do about Damian and Alfred?" Clark asked.

Diana took a moment to think about her answer. "Had things been different...if he relented, we could've used both him and Pennyworth to force Batman's surrender." Her face became a stone mask. "Now...Pennyworth and the Waynes are expendable. This war has gone on long enough. If they fall, then the Insurgency falls as well."

"And the others?" Superman asked, regarding their lieutenants.

"Once Batman is dealt with, they will fall back in line. Have you heard from Raven?"

Superman shook his head. "No. Nothing. When the time comes, I'll deal with Bruce and Damian myself. It's the least I can do. Father and son will die together."

* * *

Her brother was...well, honestly, she didn't know what to think of him. Damian was something of an anomaly, a contradiction. Unpredictable.

She knew the story behind her brother and the father they shared. From his time under Batman's wing until a difference in ideologies drove him to Superman's side. And now, following Superman's betrayal, Damian was at a crossroads.

From her place in the doorway, Althanasia Al Ghul watched her brother keep a silent vigil over the butler, who was still out cold. She always wondered what Damian saw in the old man, why he would risk his life for him.

"I'm surprised to see this side of you, Damian," Althanasia said.

Damian looked up from the slumbering Alfred. "Like what?"

Althanasia gestured to Alfred. "Like this." She walked into the room and leaned up against the wall. "From what Mother told me about you and your actions, under Superman's Regime, I honestly didn't know that this side of you existed." She tilted her head. "You struck me as being one-dimensional, and an entitled little bastard."

She paused, looking at Alfred. "But him...you risked your life and standing as Superman's enforcer to save him. I know all about your animosity towards Father and his problems with our Grandfather. But I have to know...what is Pennyworth to you?"

"Alfred taught me humility," Damian replied. "Something that I lacked when it came to our old man. Now that I'm no longer with the Regime, I can see that now."

"You hated your father," Talia said from her place in the doorway. "He just entered Jordanian airspace. He should be here within the next twenty minutes."

"Is there anyway I can avoid him?" Damian asked.

"No. This meeting was inevitable. There has been too much bad blood between the two of you. And I agree with Alfred on this. You and your father must end this foolish vendetta. Make your peace with him and bury the hatchet...preferrably not in his back." To Althanasia, she ordered, "Go and collect Jason, and to the hangar and meet your father there. Escort him to Pennyworth."

The woman nodded and exited the room.

* * *

Minutes later…

Bruce Wayne had not slept for the duration of the flight from the Insurgency hideout to Talia's safehouse in the Middle East. He had too much on his mind. That, and he had to be on the lookout for Superman, Wonder Woman, Yellow Lantern, and Shazam.

Fortunately, the stealth technology he had developed worked as planned. But he still traveled at night, just to be safe. Batgirl and Batwoman had voiced their concerns over him leaving, saying that this was a trap. But Bruce knew that the League had no love for Superman's government, as the Tyrant of Steel had forced the centuries-old organization underground.

He had been without sleep for nearly twenty-four hours. Most of that time, he had been monitoring Regime transmissions and kicking himself for allowing Alfred to return to Gotham City. But the old man had been adamant in returning to Gotham, to look after the deserted Manor until his return.

While he knew that it wasn't his fault, not knowing how Superman would react, Batman still blamed himself for Alfred's near-murder.

But there was a silver lining in this whole mess. Damian had defected from the Regime. That was one of the things he had heard blaring on the Batwing's radio, Superman's declaration regarding Damian and the reward placed on his head, double if he was turned in along with Alfred.

At least he wasn't far from Talia's hideaway. He had been literally running on empty ever since getting the news. Maybe once he made sure Alfred was okay, he could crash before returning to the others.

But deep down, he hoped that he could reconcile with his son.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part Three**

Snafu's Notes: Hey, this story got a TV Tropes page. Yay me. Also, this chapter is long to make up for the last chapter being short.

Althanasia had to admit that the Batwing was an impressive piece of machinery. Jason rebuked her by saying that Bats had plenty more toys stashed away. Well, those that weren't seized when Superman exposed his identity and seized his assets as Bruce Wayne.

The Batwing had to navigate an underground cavern in order to reach the League's sanctuary. As Batman had been here before, he was able to work his way through with no problem, setting the Batwing down in an underground hangar, and powering the aircraft down.

He emerged from the cockpit. For Althanasia, seeing her father in the flesh for the first time brought chills down her spine. He was just as how her mother described him. He carried himself with a purpose, the eyes intense and alert, the cape fluttering behind him as he walked over to her and Jason, stopping in front of the Red Hood.

"Jason," Batman spoke, extending his hand. "Thank you for saving Alfred."

"Bruce," Jason replied back, shaking his former mentor's hand. "Despite the circumstances, it's good to see you, old man. And you're welcome."

Batman nodded. He turned to Althanasia. "And you are?"

"Your guide," Althanasia replied curtly. "Follow me."

She led Batman further into the safehouse, Jason at the rear. Batman said nothing, but knew the place like the back of his hand. Whenever Talia wasn't trying to kill him, she would occasionally kidnap him for a night or three of passion, which ended with her trying to convert him over to her side, to take over leadership of the League of Assassins and adopt Ra's genocidal agenda as his own.

"Where's Talia?" Batman asked.

"She's reporting in to her father," Althanasia replied. "She will be with you and Damian momentarily."

Batman said nothing, but nodded, and allowed himself to beled further down into the underground corridors.

* * *

 **BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.**

That was the first thing that Alfred heard as he regained consciousness. The last thing he remembered was blacking out due to the blood loss, Damian and Jason's horrified looks on their faces.

Now, he found himself staring at an unknown ceiling. Looking around, he found himself inside a hospital bed, hooked up to an EKG. He was also in a pair of scrubs. His arm, side and leg were also heavily bandaged, the wounds clean and dressed.

The pain had dulled to an ache. But he was still alive.

A hand was placed on his shoulder. "Easy there, Pennyworth."

Alfred's vision cleared moments after. He looked into the face of the concerned young man. "Master Damian." He looked around. "Where am I?"

"We're in a League safehouse underneath Kerak Castle, in Jordan," Damian explained. "I had you evac'ed here after your run-in with Zsasz. You're safe. How do you feel?"

"Throat's dry."

Damian nodded and moved over to the nightstand, where a tray sat. On it, was an empty glass and a pitcher of water. The second Nightwing poured a glass of the liquid, and handed it to Alfred, who managed to sit himself up. He nodded in thanks and took a sip. "Where's Master Jason?"

"Escorting the old man here alongside Althanasia," Damian explained. "He landed not too long ago. You've been unconscious for two days. A lot has happened since then, the main thing being is that I'm no longer with the Regime. Like Father, I'm a wanted man."

"You don't sound excited to be seeing your father, Master Damian," Alfred said as he took another sip of the water. "He is not the enemy here."

"Doesn't make it easier for me, Pennyworth," Damian sighed. "I've been kicking myself for the past two days. Superman ordered your death sentence because of what you told me regarding Bruce."

"Regardless, defecting from the Regime and getting me out of Gotham alive took great courage. There is still good in you, young Master, even if you don't see it."

"I thought that the Regime were the good guys. Now..." Damian's head snapped to the side as he heard footsteps from the hall. Heavy ones he recognized as those of his father.

The door opened and in walked Batman. Althanasia and Jason remained outside. He looked at his son, seated at Alfred's bedside, and at the man himself, bedridden, his wounds bandaged, looking slightly pale from his ordeal. Then, Batman turned back to Damian, a silent glare.

Without uttering a word, Damian stood up and stepped aside, allowing Batman to take his place by the bed.

"Master Bruce," Alfred said with a weak smile. "You came."

"As fast as I could," Batman replied. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not dead yet, Master Bruce. Although I came close, thanks to Clark and his actions. There's no hope for him, Master Bruce. I know he was once your friend, but Clark is beyond redemption."

Batman sighed. "I know, Alfred."

"You shouldn't have left him."

Damian. Bruce turned from Alfred and rose to his feet, staring down his estranged son, clad in Grayson's armor, now splashed in red. Father and son both felt the old anger returning as they stared the other down.

"Superman almost had him killed because he was unguarded," Damian accused.

"I don't have time for this, Damian," Bruce snapped.

"A good father would make time," Damian snapped back.

"And a better son would deserve it."

Before the two could start fighting, a third party intervened.

"Bruce Thomas Wayne. Ibn Al Zu'ffasch."

Talia's voice stopped both men in their tracks. The Daughter of the Demon strode forward, placing herself in between Batman and their son.

Then, without warning, she grabbed both their heads with her hands and slammed the both of them together with surprising strength.

Alfred winced from the impact, as did Jason and Althanasia. That looked liked it hurt.

"Do I have your attention now?" Talia snapped. "Good. There will be no fighting here. Not from either of you." She took a moment to calm down. "What the Joker had done...he did not just destroyed Metropolis and drove Superman mad. His actions destroyed your relationship the two of you once shared as father and son. Yet your pride..."

She glares at Bruce. He stared back at her.

"...and your ego..."

Now, Damian flinched under her glare.

"...fail to see that," Talia continued. "I love the both of you with all my heart. I really do, despite our differences, and it breaks my heart to see the both of you on opposing sides. Now the both of you see the greater picture here. Here, there is no Regime. There is no Insurgency. There are no masks. You are Bruce Wayne, and you are Damian Wayne. The both of you will remove your masks...and TALK." To Alfred, she said, "If they act up again, let me know. My next lesson won't be as merciful."

Talia turned and stormed out of the room, Bruce and Damian hearing her order both Althanasia and Jason not to let either man out of the room for the next hour.

"Well?" Alfred prodded. "Go on..."

Bruce sighed. He reached up and removed the mask. Damian followed suit, removing the domino-style mask that covered his identity.

"I..." Damian swallowed. "You were right, Bruce. I let my ego and temper get the best of me. I didn't mean to kill Dick. Things were crazy at Arkham, and I was angry at you...I thought Dick was someone else when I lashed out..."

"I know. Dick told me."

Damian looked up.

"He doesn't blame you, Damian. For what happened," Bruce clarified. "You wasn't the only one who lost control that night."

"...it's my fault."

"What?"

"Superman exposing your identity and seizing your assets? My idea?" Damian confessed. "His first idea was to invade the Batcave in full force."

"Oh. He did. After killing Ollie, he came to the Batcave. I didn't know about Atom's mission to take him out, and I tried telling Clark that, but he was too far gone in his rage." Bruce smiled sardonically. "Bane isn't the only one who broke my back that day. I was out for months after that." He pointed to Alfred. "Alfred saved my life."

"Dick trusted me, but you didn't."

"He did, Master Damian. Your father just didn't bother to show it, is all," Alfred defended the elder Wayne.

"Yeah, well...I burned that bridge, didn't I?"

"Yeah. You did," admitted Bruce. "But you and Jason saved Alfred's life and you defected from the Regime."

"After I left, I realized that we were the bad guys. We thought that we were saving the world by stopping crime before it happened. Turns out that we're no better than the bad guys we've tried to put away." Damian sat down in a chair. "I'm sorry, Bruce. For everything."

"Me too, Damian."

"You were right about something else."

"Oh? What?"

"That it takes just one life. Superman claimed that he killed the Joker to save millions. Doesn't explain what he did to Canary...or Arrow. Or the Lanterns. Looking back on it now...it's a bitter pill to swallow."

"Life does that to us, Damian," Bruce said. "In most cases, it's much-needed medicine."

"Just so you know, I'm not joining the Insurgency," Damian added. "Alfred needs to recover. And he needs a protector. When the time comes, then I'll join you."

* * *

Outside…

Jason looked at Althanasia, who had her ear pressed against the door. "Well?" he whispered.

"No sounds of fighting," the Daughter of the Bat reported. "They're still talking."

"Good."

Jason and Althanasia turned to Talia, who stood there, arms akimbo. "I said make sure they don't try to escape, not to eavesdrop."

"Just being on the safe side, Mother," her daughter pointed out. "Alfred is in no position to try and stop Father and Damian should they come to blows."

"Fine. I concede that point to you," Talia admitted. "At least they're talking. Maybe there's hope that they can find common ground once again."

Walking away from Jason and Althanasia, Talia couldn't help but to smile.

* * *

Later…

The single thought that was going through Bruce Wayne's head was how in the hell does he find himself in these situations?

He suspected that Talia had an ulterior motive in allowing him to stay overnight, to allow his body to rest and recover after five years of wear and tear. But, despite everything, despite his war against Superman and the Regime, he was still human.

He didn't resist when she led him to her chambers. Nor when she locked the door behind him. Or when she slammed him up against the wall, her lips crushing his, her hands undoing every clasp of his armor. She didn't resist when he removed her catsuit as they made their way to the bed.

At least the room was soundproofed.

Bruce was naked and on his back, while Talia snuggled next to him, naked as he was. At least she didn't spike his drink this time around. Last time she did that, Damian was conceived. It was no secret that Selina had a sexual relationship, but she was no Talia.

Talia was graceful, powerful in her own way, always wanting to take control. The fact that someone like him was always in control infuriated her. But she liked a challenge. Selina was like that as well, albeit in her own way.

At least Talia didn't use that damned bullwhip. Maybe he was a masochist.

"You're brooding again."

Bruce looked at Talia. She had her head propped up on her shoulder, looking at him with amusement.

"For the record, I didn't spike your drink," Talia added.

"I would've known if you did."

"So..." Talia bit her lip. "Who do you prefer in bed? Selina or me?"

"No comment," Bruce replied, chuckling.

Talia smiled. "Your smile was missed. You've been so grim for so long, Bruce."

Bruce sighed. "I know. I've lost friends in this war. Ollie...Renee...Helena...ever since Metropolis, I've been doubting myself."

"Bruce...stop right there. Metropolis wasn't your fault," Talia said. "I know you've heard it many times over, but it's true. You may be the World's Greatest Detective, but not even you could not anticipate what the Joker had done."

"I do feel responsible for not stopping the Justice League in following Superman. And for not being a better father to Damian."

"Our son had his own demons to face," Talia noted. "His hatred of you was matched by his guilt of his accidentally killing Richard. I'm glad that the both of you managed to find common ground once again."

"Either that or you'd probably forced us to do it at sword-point. You're a lot like Ra's. You're not entirely subtle."

"Says the man who dresses up like a bat and punches villains every night."

"With the war against Superman, I've been out of practice." His next statement caught even Talia off-guard. "So when were you going to mention that Althanasia was my daughter?"

"What?! How did you know that?!"

Bruce smirked. "You just told me. Plus, it was a pretty good guess."

Talia blinked. Then, she chuckled. Of course he would find out. "Oh, well played, Beloved. Well played." She then got serious. "It was Father's idea, to have a second grandchild from your seed, one that was fully indoctrinated with the League of Assassins. I warned him that you would find out eventually."

"One of these days, Ra's and I are going to have a long, long talk about this," Bruce muttered. He noticed Talia looking at him oddly. "What?"

"By this time, you would be getting out of bed, despite my please to stay,' Talia replied.

"I'm too tired to argue, and the bed is too comfortable."

Talia gave him a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Smart move, Bruce."

"Besides...I got a hunch that if I got out of the bed, then I'd regret it."

* * *

Above ground, on the grounds of Kerak Castle...

He wanted to be left alone, especially after the dressing-down Superman had given to him in front of the others. Jordan was far enough for him, especially Kerak Castle.

 _"I honestly don't know what do with you, Barry. You clearly disobeyed orders regarding Iris West."_

 _"She deserved a proper burial, Clark. I owed her at least that much. She wasn't a criminal. She was a reporter..."_

 _"...who was also a dissident. You took her body against my orders to have it incinerated, just so you can have it buried properly. You yourself admitted to this, and now you stand before me, willing to be judged. Damian Wayne was commited to the cause, but he betrayed me. Will you betray me too? Or are you committed to the Regime?"_

 _"I am."_

 _"Good. Consider this a warning. I won't be as merciful the next time you go against my orders. Now get out of my sight until I have use of you."_

Iris was dead. There was no way around it. Despite how their relationship had ended, Barry had looked out for her. When he came to visit her in prison, she said that she had been working on an expose that would expose Superman for the tyrant that he was.

That was the last time Barry saw her alive. She didn't last long in prison, as Barry was called in to identify her body days later. Against Superman's orders, Barry had claimed her body and had paid for the burial out of his pocket. He had been reprimanded for disobeying orders. But for Barry, he wore the reprimand like a badge of honor.

"Barry."

Barry turned his head. Hovering behind him, arms behind his back, was Superman. Barry scoffed. "Oh. It's you." He turned back to watching the view. "What do you want, Clark? You have a use for me?" he asked mockingly.

Superman lowered himself to the ground. "I suppose I deserve that," he admitted. "I came to apologize. You did what you thought was right regarding Iris. Believe me, I understand, losing a loved one. More than you could possibly know."

"Yeah. Central City wasn't nuked by a mad clown and Lois wasn't tortured to death by hardcore crooks."

"I'm sorry about Iris. I really am," Superman said. "Diana told me that I should be more careful of my actions. That I shouldn't make Insurgents out of allies."

"Like Damian?" Barry asked. "You had Zsasz sprung from prison and target Alfred..."

"...to smoke out Bruce," Superman insisted. "Had I known that Zsasz was going to kill Alfred, then I wouldn't have gone through with the plan. All I wanted was to end this war."

"So Damian overreacted?"

"It seems that way. A shame," Superman shrugged his shoulders. "I gave him a chance to become great...and he throws it back in my face."

'You mean he's finally seeing what you really are. Like I'm starting to,' Barry thought darkly.

"You've been by my side ever since this began," Superman went on. "It's just that Damian's defection had really made me upset..."

'And I've seen what happens when you get upset,' Barry added mentally. 'People die around you.'

"...and I shouldn't have ripped into you like I did," Superman continued. "I'm giving you the rest of the week off to grieve. Report in on Monday morning, okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

Superman took off. Barry did the same minutes later, zooming off into the distance. Neither person didn't know that the leader of the Insurgency was underneath their feet, along with his estranged son and his allies. Had Superman known, then the war would've been over.

But Damian's defection had an impact with Barry Allen. In the following weeks, Barry would play a critical part in destroying the Regime.

* * *

At the same time, in an unknown dimension…

The gem was similar to the League's burn phone. Good for a single use. It had been a gift to him from its previous owner, back when Damian ran with the Teen Titans.

All Damian had to do is crush it, and she would come. It was only good for a single use, unfortunately.

It was a risk, contacting her. Like both Cyborg and himself, she was an ex-Titan that joined the Regime. While Cyborg was fanatically loyal to Superman, Damian hoped that he could at least convince her to defect.

With all the dirt he had on Superman, plus the knowledge of what he had done to her, Damian deduced that his chances were looking good. Slim, but good.

The dimension was a place she would come and think, to reflect. For Damian, it reminded him of an abandoned castle.

"I was expecting Superman."

Damian turned around. Hovering above him, arms behind her back, her hooded cloak pulled back, was Raven. Out of the Titans, he had gotten along with the sorceress the best.

"No. Just me," Damian replied. "We need to talk, Raven."

Raven lowered herself to the ground, but was still floating half a foot from the pavement as she slowly circled Damian. "We talked about this, Damian. What had happened that night in the Watchtower..."

"...was a one-time thing, I know," Damian interrupted. "I didn't come here for that, regardless of how much we both enjoyed it. A lot has happened since your dad was banished to the void."

"You are here at Superman's behest? To convince me to return to Earth?"

"No. I defected from the Regime."

Raven stopped floating and walked over to Damian, her solid white eyes looking at him in disbelief. Alongside Cyborg, he had been Superman's biggest supporter.

"Look into my memories," Damian said. "You'll see why."

Raven nodded. She reached out and gently grasped Damian's head in her hands, and concentrated. It took only a moment, but Raven saw why Damian turned his back on Superman.

Raven broke the spell and took a step back. The look of shock returned to her face. Damian had often spoke of Alfred and held him in high regard. Seeing Superman orchestrate his murder attempt in an act of petty vengeance left Raven in shock.

Damian Wayne valued his relationship with Pennyworth. Superman almost took it from him. Had Pennyworth been killed, then Damian would have been shattered.

"My God...Superman..."

"He's lost it, Raven," Damian said. "Which leads to why I'm here. I need your help."

Raven sighed. "I'm sorry, Damian, but I've no use for your reality. Not after what had happened with Trigon."

"Your father tried to kill all of us, Raven, Insurgent, Regime, everybody. I know that you of all people can't be okay with that."

"I'm not. But he was my father. I lost half of who I am." Her eyes narrowed. "Trigon's banishment was orchestrated by your father, if I recall."

"Suprisingly enough, Bruce is innocent. He did kidnap you, Victor and Flash, but what happened afterward...that was all Constantine," Damian defended. "Constantine pulled the strings, mainpulated the fight between him and Mxyptlk. Constantine owed your father his soul and he wanted him out of the picture."

Raven thought it over. "That scheme does sound like something that Constantine would do..."

"As to why I'm here..."

"You need my help. For what purpose, Damian?"

Damian told her of his plan. An infiltration mission, which doubled as a rescue mission. The targets in question? Four superheroes that each had a grudge towards Superman and the Regime.

"And why should I help you?" Raven asked. "What's in it for me to turn my back on Superman?"

"Remember when Superman said that most of the Titans were killed when the Joker nuked Metropolis. Four live, imprisoned in the Phantom Zone; Kori, Cassie, Conner and Tim."

Raven's eyes widened. "How do you know this?"

"I saw the video footage when I was visiting the Fortress. Superman doesn't know that I tapped into the system by accident. Conner and the others attempted to banish Superman into the Zone, but Conner ended up being wounded badly, possibly mortal. To save his life, Kori and the others agreed to be sent to the Phantom Zone."

Once again, Raven scanned Damian's memories. Once she was finished, Raven sat down on an overturned pillar. "They're still alive. Clark lied to me. He lied to us."

"Yeah. I know. Which is why I need your help in this job. Help me in this job, and then we can free Conner and the others." Damian took a seat next to Raven. "Look. We both did bad things for the Regime. I can see that now. Now, I walk my own path."

"What about Victor? Can he help?"

"I can't go to Victor with this. You of all people knows he is a hardcore Regime loyalist. He'll sell me out to Superman, which means game over."

"Why tell me this?" asked Raven.

"Because despite all that's happened, I trust you, and you trust me. I don't plan on joining the old man and his Insurgency, but I can undermine Superman and his forces. That's where you come in. And hopefully, when this is all over, I'm praying that Batman comes out the winner in this mess." He looked out to the horizon. "There's a storm coming, Rachel. The endgame is approaching and I'm offering you a place on the ark."

Raven closed her eyes and allowed what Damian had told her to sink in. Unlike Superman, Damian never lied to her, nor led her on. That night they shared together...well, she was mourning Beast Boy at the time, and had kept it professional afterward.

She opened her eyes and looked into his. "Do you have remorse over what happened with Dick?"

He nodded. "Every single day. His death is my burden to bear, and I must carry it alone."

For the third time, she reached out to him, her hands touching the sides of his face. "Show me."

And Damian did. He closed his eyes and allowed Raven to see the day that forever changed his life. He had told her that his death was an accident, but now, she was seeing it through his eyes.

[Flashback]

 _Arkham Asylum, five years ago…_

 _Damian was on his knees, holding his side, defeated in combat. Batman stood above him, his face showing great remorse over what he had just did. Superman was shocked as well, but couldn't do nothing as he was still shaking off the effects of the Red Solar Grenade Batman had used earlier in the battle._

 _"Damian...I'm sorry. I..."_

 _Damian glared at his father._

 _"You...you coward!" Damian seethed as he staggered to his feet. "You still don't get it, do you? We're at war with these animals! You think you're better than him?!" Damian pointed to the body of Calendar Man, still bleeding out. "You could've stopped the Joker from killing at any time! Now look what's happened! You couldn't save Lois! You couldn't save Jason! You failed Metropolis! You failed EVERYONE!"_

 _"Robin! That's enough!" Nightwing, having heard enough decided to intervene._

 _Reaching out from behind, the first Robin grabbed Damian's shoulder. In his rage, Damian lashed out, his fist clipping Nightwing on the temple, stunning him, his escrima sticks clattering to the floor. Damian spun around, his anger rapidly evaporating to horror as he watched Nightwing stumble backwards, right before tripping over one of the fallen sticks._

 _Damian saw it first. On the floor, was a baseball-sized piece of jagged concrete. If Nightwing's neck landed on it just right..._

 _"NO!" Damian shouted, lunging at Nightwing._

 _But he was too late._

 ** _CRACK._**

 _The sound of Nightwing's neck snapping echoed throughout the empty room. His body twitched for several moments, then was still._

 _Damian, Batman and Superman wasn't the only people who witnessed Nightwing's death. Cyborg and Wonder Woman, now recovered, came running into the room to aid Superman. Green Arrow, having arrived with Harley Quinn to turn her in, also witnessed Nightwing's death._

 _"Dick...my God," Superman muttered._

 _"By the Gods, no..." Diana whispered in horror._

 _"Oh, shit," Cyborg cursed._

 _"Oh, dear God..." Arrow gasped._

 _Even Harley was shocked. "Birdboy? Oh no..."_

 _"Get away from him!" Damian was shoved to the side by Batman, who knelt at Nightwing's corpse and held it in his arms. It was the first time Damian saw his father cry._

 _"Dick? Dick? Oh, God, please, no..." He turned to Damian. "What did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO?!"_

 _Horrified over what he had done, Damian turned and ran from the building, ignoring Superman's calls for him to stop._

* * *

 _Damian had been running for a long time. He just didn't know how how long. The sound of Dick Grayson's neck snapping still echoed in his mind._

 _Finally, his legs gave out and he collapsed to his knees. He was still in Gotham, but in the Narrows, in one of its many alleyways._

 _"Damian."_

 _Robin looked up. Superman floated above him, his face also showing a great deal of remorse over what had happened._

 _"I...I didn't mean to...Dick..." Robin sputtered._

 _"I know, Damian. I know." Superman then extended his hand._

 _Robin looked at the hand with red eyes. Then he looked at Superman. He then took the offered hand._

[End Flashback]

It was the first time Raven saw Damian's fear. She felt it, and knew he was telling the truth. Damian had burned his own bridges with his father and was working on trying to rebuild them.

Raven suspected that Alfred's influence had been the contributing factor.

"A smart man once said, 'If you can't do something smart, then you better do something right,'" Raven said. She took a deep breath. "All right, I'm in. When do we start?"

 **BEEP. BEEP.**

Raven's communicator, a small, rectangle-shaped transmitter small enough to fit into the palm of her hand, had went off.

"Raven."

Both Damian and Raven looked at one another. It was Superman.

"I know you're there. I know you're listening. The Regime has need of you and your unique skillset. I want you to return to Earth. We've...suffered a setback. A betrayal. Damian Wayne has defected from the Regime, and has joined the rebels. What had happened with Trigon was all Batman's doing. If you can't get your father back, then perhaps you can punish those who used him."

'Only problem the one I want to punish is not where I want him,' Raven thought as she made the communicator hover in the air. A small bolt of energy destroyed it moments later.

"It seems that I'm now in the same boat as you, Damian," Raven deadpanned.

"Welcome to the Rebellion," Damian said with a grin.

Raven returned the smile. "So...do you have a plan in stopping Superman?"

"That headache is left to my father," Damian replied. "He always has something up his sleeve. He wouldn't be Batman if he wasn't."

He stood up, as did Raven. Stretching out her hand, Raven conjured a portal back to Earth. Once she and Damian stepped through, the portal vanished from existence once they disappeared inside.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part Four**

Snafu's Notes: Sorry for taking so long with the update. New Laptop and all that stuff.

Okay, so in the Injustice Comics, Harvey Bullock dies along with Jason Blood. In this story, he survives the encounter, but leaves the Insurgency shortly afterward. He makes an appearance in this chapter, which coincides with a reference from the first Avengers film, along with several other DC-related references you can probably point out. Also, since Raven has defected to Damian's side, Enchantress takes her place.

Second, Harley Quinn, who played a major role in Metropolis' destruction, didn't this time around, but joined the Insurgency when Superman destroyed her apartment building and killed her friends/tenants. I've also borrowed elements from the New 52 line. Finally, to tell the difference from the main characters and the injustice characters, the main characters have Prime added to their name.

League of Assassins Hideout, underneath Kerak Castle, Jordan.

Despite not saying it out loud, Damian was thankful for the second chance to rebuild the bridges he had burnt. Raven had been a good help, allowing both men to speak without consequence inside her pocket dimension, with Alfred as a mediator.

It was here that Damian discovered that his father had planned on moving Arkham's repeat offenders to the Trench all along. Had not the Joker had blown up Metropolis and killed Superman's wife, it would have been done in two weeks. Superman forced his hand.

Bruce admitted that if the Joker had done the same to Gotham, he'd probably been worse than Superman when it came to building the Regime. What surprised Damian was that his father had taken the blame for allowing Superman to fall.

"I should've been there. I should've tried harder to save him. I failed him, Damian. I failed you as well. Had it not been for Jason saving Alfred, I would've failed him as well."

One thing about Raven's pocket dimension was that no one couldn't lie. It made clearing the air between father and son a whole lot easier. Leading the Insurgency was starting to take its toll on Batman, hence he had placed his bets on one final, desperate plan.

Damian thought he was insane, but his father's plans had always been that as of late. Bringing over duplicates of heroes in order to unlock a Kryptonite weapon that could stop the insane High Councilor was right up his father's alley.

It was what had happened next that left Damian and the rest of the world horrified.

* * *

Shock. That was the dominant expression on everyone's faces, including that of Talia al Ghul as they watched the news unfold on the TV.

Damian wasn't surprised. Summoning heroes from an alternative universe in which Superman didn't lose his family and city was something that his father would do. But to see the High Councilor strangle Lex Luthor to death on live TV? Damian knew that Lex was with the Insurgency, but even this was going too far.

The insanity in Superman's eyes was clear for everyone watching to see. Lex was defiant to the end, even as Superman crushed his trachea in a fit of rage, the revelation that he was helping the Insurgency was what drove him over the edge. Then, Superman screamed in rage and took off, possibly back to the Hall of Justice.

"'Either you die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain,'" Damian said, reciting what his father had once told him.

Althanasia turned to her brother. "What?"

"It's something Father once told me. Ironically enough, Harvey Dent told that to him. Before he became Two-Face," Damian explained.

 **BEEP. BEEP.**

Damian looked at his watch. A gift from his father to keep in touch with him. The time blinked out, followed by a message.

 **THIS IS THE ENDGAME. COME TO THE BATCAVE.**

Damian stood up and walked out of the commons room. Althanasia and Raven both followed him.

* * *

"So you're leaving?"

Damian, now clad in the Nightwing costume, paused before putting on the mask. He turned around to face his sister. "I have to. If I know Superman, then he's gonna throw everything he has at Father and the duplicates."

"You're not going alone," Raven said as she entered the room. "I shall come as well."

Damian nodded. "Had a feeling you might, Rachel."

"I've taken the liberty of notifying Jason," Raven added. "He will meet us at Gotham."

Damian turned to his sister. "Sure you don't want some of this action?"

The younger Wayne shook her head. "As much as I like to, I'm needed here. Someone has to keep your manservant safe."

"You have our word," Talia added as she emerged from behind her daughter. "Alfred wants to have a word with you before you go, Damian."

Mother and daughter left. Raven turned to leave, but stopped. Before Damian can say anything, Raven walked over to him, grabbed him by the shoulders, and kissed him on the lips.

"Incentive," Raven replied after they broke off the kiss. "For you to survive this."

"I thought this was a one-time thing," Damian replied.

Raven merely smiled. "I am up for a...repeat performance."

She departed from the room. Damian had a goofy look on his face before he shook it off. Placing the mask over his eyes, he secured the electrified staves and exited the room.

* * *

Alfred Pennyworth was recovering quite comfortably following his near-death experience with Zsasz. But he remained confined in a wheelchair, dressed in pajamas.

Damian walked into the room. "Pennyworth, I..."

"I know. You were there at the beginning of Superman's madness. Now, you wish to be there at its end." Alfred reached over and grasped Damian's hand. "I'm proud of you, Master Damian. You've made your mistakes, but you didn't run from them, nor did you blame your father."

"At first," Damian replied. "I always thought he was a coward for not killing the Joker. Guess it took Superman going mad to show why. One life is all it takes. And I've done plenty of bad things under the Regime."

"Redemption, Master Damian, is not given. It is earned," Alfred said in a sage-like tone. "You've stepped back from the darkness when you and Master Jason saved my life. Now you have a chance to help your father and bring down the Regime. You showed Miss Raven the truth about Superman, giving her the strength to leave the Insurgency. Life can be a bitter pill to swallow, Master Damian. But in most cases, it's much-needed medicine."

Damian sighed. "A surprise that I haven't overdosed."

"Go," Alfred said. "Save the world. Do what you were born to do. Promise me one thing, Master Damian."

"Anything, Pennyworth."

Alfred smirked. "Try not to die."

* * *

Gotham City.

One thought was going through Selina Kyle's mind as she watched what had happened. "Holy shit."

Between Batman and Superman, it was clear that the Tyrant of Steel has clearly lost it, if the body of Lex Luthor, his trachea crushed was anything to go by. But seeing the duplicates fighting the Regime's heavy hitters meant one thing; Bruce was getting desperate.

"Selina Kyle."

Damian's voice interrupted her reverie. Turning to the balcony, Catwoman saw both the second Nightwing and Raven out on her balcony, the portal Raven had used to transport them both to Gotham blinking out of existience.

"Let's get one thing straight," Damian said as he entered the living room. "I don't like you, Kyle. That's a given. But I need your help. The old man needs your help. Clark is gonna throw everything at us now that Luthor is gone and Dad has duplicates running around Gotham and Metropolis. Get changed. You got five minutes."

Numbly, Selina nodded as she walked into her bedroom. She knew of Damian's defection from the Regime, and the circumstances surrounding it. Jason Todd had told her. And Selina actually liked Pennyworth.

Pulling out her goggles, her leather bodysuit, her boots and her favorite bullwhip, Selina started to change her clothes. She did feel bad about abandoning Bruce, despite having valid reasons to do so.

Either way, Selina was very glad that she didn't sign on with the Regime.

And maybe, just maybe she could at least apologize to her erstwhile lover for ditching him the way she did.

* * *

The Batcave, underneath Wayne Manor.

Minutes later, a war council with Batman, Flash and the prime counterparts was taking place underneath Wayne Manor. What Flash has just told them did not go well with the others.

Shazam was dead, slain by the High Councilor himself, of which the Flash himself had witnessed. Then, came the pipe bomb. Superman was gathering his forces, with the others to destroy both Gotham City and Metropolis.

"Gotham and Metropolis will be history," Flash concluded. He looked at the non-corrupted Justice League. "After that, your world's next."

"Can't believe Superman would do this," Prime Cyborg muttered. "It's insane. He's insane."

"So how do we stop him?" Prime Lantern asked.

"Either way, we're in for one hell of a fight," Prime Wonder Woman added.

Batman shook his head. "No. The plan was to bring you here for the Kryptonite weapon. That plan failed. All of you are going home. Then, I'm going to destroy the transporter. It won't stop him from coming over, but it should buy you time to prepare."

"We can't do that," the Prime Amazon replied. "Luthor sacrificed himself and exposed Superman for what he is. We cannot dishonor his sacrifice by leaving now."

"There is an alternative," Prime Batman suggested. "We bring over our Superman."

Batman shook his head. "One Superman is enough."

"He's not like yours, Bruce," P. Wonder Woman defended. "Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment."

"He's right."

The Prime Justice League were on their guard, weapons drawn, save for Batman and Flash. Clad in full Nightwing armor, the blue now replaced with red, Damian Wayne emerged from the shadows. Looking at Batman and his prime counterpart, he added, while pointing to his father's prime counterpart. "I meant him."

"Damian." Batman was alarmed. "Alfred...?"

"He's fine. Gave me his blessings to come and help," Damian said.

Prime Batman turned to his counterpart. "Your son?" the former asked.

Batman nodded.

Damian wasn't alone. Accompanying him was Catwoman, who looked genuinely ashamed. Prime Wonder Woman tapped Prime Batman on his shoulder. He got the hint and stepped to the side.

Batman slowly walked over to Catwoman, and stopped. "Bruce, I..." Catwoman began.

"It's okay, Selina. I know why you left. I don't blame you. I'm just glad you came back," Batman said with a bit of emotion in his voice.

"I got a lot of making up to do, don't I?" Catwoman asked.

"We'll deal with that later," Batman replied. He turned back to his son. "Please tell me you brought help."

Damian smirked as several more people emerged from the shadows. Red Hood, for starters, followed by Raven. Then, Batman's eyes widened as he recognized the others.

As it turned out, when Raven agreed to join forces with Damian with the promise of freeing the imprisoned Teen Titans from the Phantom Zone, he wasn't entirely honest. As it turned out, the secret mission into the Fortress of Solitude was the mission to free the others.

Tim Drake, originally the third Robin, now Red Robin. Conner Kent, the Kryptonian clone of Superman, now called Superboy. Cassandra Sandsmark, the Amazonian warrior known as Wonder Girl. And the exiled princess Korriand'r, better known as Starfire.

Superboy had to spend time in recovery, due to the wounds he had suffered at the hands of Superman. Damian's first suggestion was to throw him into the Lazarus Pits, but Raven and Jason vetoed him. Superboy's injuries were healed by Zatanna Zatara, and he spent his time recuperating under her supervision.

Of course, when Damian and Raven freed the Titans, it earned him a broken jaw from Starfire upon discovering the truth behind Dick Grayson's death. Raven healed him, but Damian said that he deserved it.

Damian gave them a quick explanation. "When I was still with the Regime, I spent time at the Fortress of Solitude. I found the Phantom Zone projector...and security footage showing what Superman had done." He gestured to the Titans. "Superboy and the Titans tried to stop Clark, but Superboy was mortally wounded in the process. Clark convinced them to go into the Phantom Zone to save his life, with the promise that he would release them once his war was over." He snorted in derision. "And I personally know that the Tyrant of Steel won't keep his word. I snuck back into the Fortress and freed them before returning to Alfred and Mother."

"Damian told us what has happened in the last five years," Red Robin continued. "While Starfire was less than pleased to hear of Nightwing's death, her desire to bring down Superman is stronger."

"This is the endgame, old man," Red Hood seconded. "Superman's gonna hit us with everything he's got. And with Luthor gone, he's snapped. This is our only chance to stop the Regime once and for all. Much as I hate to admit, we need the good Superman."

Batman sighed. His son did have a point.

Before he could come to a decision, however, the Batcave was invaded by Regime soldiers, led by Killer Frost and Bane.

The Battle for Gotham and Metropolis has begun.

* * *

Streets of Gotham City.

Following the death of Jim Gordon, Harvey Bullock was named interim Police Commissioner of the GCPD. A symbolic gesture, sure, due to Regime having stripped the city's police force of its authority, but it was an honor that Bullock accepted nonetheless.

Renee would've been proud of him, Harvey had mused. She would be even more proud of him now. He had seen what Superman had done to Luthor, and after discovering his plans from Wayne, made several phone calls to his friends in the GCPD and the National Guard.

If Superman was going to destroy Gotham, then he was damn sure gonna work for it.

So far, the GCPD and the National Guard have been giving a good account of themselves, throwing back repeated assaults from the Regime's foot soldiers. But their ammunition was starting to run low, having past the halfway point.

When Bullock was told the news, he swore, and gave the order to procure the fallen Regime soldiers' weapons and ammunition. It was a temporary solution, but at least it would help them conserve ammo until either Batman won or Gotham was destroyed.

Something heavy had landed on one of the police cruisers. Harvey and the cops aimed their weapons at the person in question. It was Damian Wayne, formerly of the Regime, now a fugitive like his father, Batman ordering him to take his backup and aid the civilians in escaping Superman.

"You?!" Bullock bellowed.

"Me," Damian confirmed. He pointed to the buildings. "You got civilians inside the buildings. Get some men inside and evacuate them, or they'll run into the Regime soldiers' line of fire. Get them out through either the basements or the subways. Harley Quinn and her crew has set up several of the warehouses at the docks for an emergency shelter. And get a perimeter at least four blocks back."

"Why should I take orders from you?" Bullock demanded.

"Traitor!"

Three Regime soldiers came charging from an alleyway, and saw Nightwing. Damian's reaction was instant. He flipped off the car, landing behind the soldiers. A sweep with the baton knocked one guy off his feet and on his back. He was knocked out with a hard blow to the face. Snapping the halves of the sticks together, Damian transformed the electrified halves of the kali sticks into a short staff.

Dick had taught him well into using the staff, his skill on par with his swordplay. His moves were precise and professional, honed by his years in the League of Assassins and under the Regime.

A thrust to the throat stunned the second soldier, his assault rifle clattering to the street, allowing Damian to focus on the third. A barrage of blows with Grayson's staff ended with the man mercifully falling to the ground, unconscious. The third guy, Damian simply embedded one end of the staff into his gut and in an overhead swing, slammed him to the ground.

It was over in less than ten seconds. Then, Damian turned back to Bullock, his expression reading, 'That's why.'

Bullock spun on his heels and began to bark out orders. "Romero, DeLise, round up as many guys you can and get inside those buildings. Get the people away from the streets. Rally point is Newburn-Conway Station at West and Ward. Get them to the docks." He then yanked a radio from his belt. "Hamill, Keaton, this is Commissioner Bullock. Get in touch with Sergeant Eisenberg and Lieutenant Porter. I want the Guard and S.W.A.T. to set up a perimeter as far back as Bale and Hardy."

Damian grinned, giving a silent word of thanks to Bullock. Then, his instincts told him to move.

One thing about Damian Wayne is that he always listened to his instincts. Especially now, as he leapt into the air, spinning in a butterfly twist, just as an energy blast from Cyborg sailed under him and smashed into a military Hummer, flipping it on its roof.

Bullock gave the order to withdraw. This was a fight that was between Damian and the former Titan.

Damian landed in a crouch. He looked at Cyborg, arm cannon aimed at his head. "Oh, look. It's the resident IT guy," Damian snarked.

"Looks like you need some tech support," Cyborg quipped back.

Damian got back to his feet and dusted himself off. "You know I'm self-sufficient."

"You pissed Superman off with your little stunt, Baby Bat," Cyborg replied. "I got my orders to bring you in. And if you resist, then I'll put you down."

"What was I supposed to do?" Damian shot back. "Superman tried to have Alfred killed!"

"Superman did what he had to do to stop this war," Cyborg replied. "You know you can't beat me, Damian. Surrender and save me the trouble of kicking your ass."

Damian smirked, surprising the older man. "Ask them what I should do," he replied, pointing behind Cyborg.

Cyborg's sensors sensed movement behind him. What he saw upon turning around rocked him to his core.

Jason Todd, in his Red Hood get up. That was a given. He wasn't surprised to see Raven, floating in the air, energy forming in her hands.

It was the other three that had Cyborg shook up. Conner Kent, eyes glowing, ready to blast him with his Heat Vision. Starfire, complete with starbolts at the ready. And Wonder Girl, swords drawn. All were ready and willing to stop him.

"No...how...?" Cyborg sputtered.

"Superman," Damian replied. "He locked them away in the Phantom Zone when they tried to stop him. Victor...Superman lied to you. He lied to all of us. Raven and I freed them and gave them a chance for payback. Now you got a choice. Superman's done. The Regime is over. Either you make the right choice now..." Damian paused to nod in the direction of the Titans. "...or they'll make it for you."

Cyborg looked at his former allies. Then he looked at Damian.

Cyborg's arm reverted back to his normal hand as he slowly went to his knees. Placing his hands behind his head, he looked at Damian yet again, the younger Wayne having a look of relief on his face.

"You owe me an explanation once all this is over," Cyborg said as Raven restrained him.

Damian nodded. To the other Titans, he gave their orders. "Aid the civilians, and stop the Regime soldiers." Then, he leapt back into the fray.

* * *

Fortress of Solitude.

It was as if looking into a mirror, Prime Superman thought as he stared at his counterpart. They could almost be twins, as they look alike, save that his evil duplicate's face was twisted into a mask of anger and hate. His hair was slicked back, no cowlick. The costume had shoulder pads and more splashes of red.

Superman glared at his counterpart. "I knew they would pull you over eventually." His hand, once pointing an accusing finger at Superman Prime, now clenched into a fist. "You don't belong here."

Superman Prime placed his hands on his waist, Yul Brynner-style as the High Councilor lowered himself to the ground. "That may be true, but my obligations don't end at my dimension."

"They do here," Superman shot back. "I'm this world's savior. I protect it!"

Superman Prime couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Protection? Is that what you call what you and the Regime are doing out there? Trying to wipe out Gotham and Metropolis?"

"You're a father yourself. You of all people knows when a child disobeys, they are punished accordingly."

"Children?" Superman Prime repeated. "Listen to yourself. We're not gods. We don't decide who lives and who dies..."

Superman cut his good side off. "THE DECISION IS MINE! WHEN JOKER TURNED ME INTO A WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, THE DECISION BECAME MINE!"

Superman Prime looked at his counterpart with pity. "I know what you've lost. Bruce told me. Your Bruce, not mine."

Superman's eyes glowed red. "And he still fights against me! And you?! You dare judge me?! I brought peace and order to this planet! How many more innocent people die before you and everyone else accept that some lives need to be taken?!"

"Shazam and Green Arrow were innocents?" Superman Prime shot back.

Superman calmed down. "No. They were casualties of war. They stood against me, and they paid the ultimate price." He stepped forward. "I know about Lois. And Jon. Once I've killed you and subjugate your dimension, I'll bring the both of them here. They'll understand, once they've seen how I've perfected this world."

"No, they won't," Superman Prime rebuked. "They'll be afraid and disgusted."

Superman exploded. "THEY'LL BOTH BE ALIVE!"

"Lois' death doesn't justify what you've done in her name!"

"The Joker stole everything from me!"

"And you've stolen this planet's freedom!" Superman Prime cracked his knuckles. "And now, it's time to take it back!"

* * *

Back in Gotham…

Damian and the Titans were aiding Harley Quinn and the Harley Horde clearing out a Gotham Metro bus of civilians. Of course, Regime soldiers would come once in a while, and were quickly dispatched by Harley and the Titans.

It felt weird, working alongside the Joker's former moll. Damian was led to believe that Harley was involved in the destruction of Metropolis. That, however, was not true. Before Superman's attack on Gotham and Metropolis, Harley had taken Damian to the side to explain everything.

"We may had mad love once upon a time, but that cheap-suited clown ain't my lover anymore," Harley had said. "He and I had long since been quits before he destroyed Superman's hometown."

That was good enough for Damian.

Then, Batman called in.

"Attention. Attention. All heroes converge onto the Fortress of Solitude. I repeat: all heroes to the Fortress of Solitude."

Harley turned to Damian. "Go! We got this covered!"

"What about the Joker?" Damian asked, knowing full well that the duplicate Joker was incapacitated, but he was lacking specific details.

Harley's painted lips twisted into a smirk. "Oh...don't worry about Puddin'. We had a...disagreement. One that was rectified with my favorite bat." She mock-pouted. "Shame about my bat. It was my favorite."

Nightwing nodded. He then turned to the other Titans. "Titans! On me!" Once they were gathered, Damian turned to Raven. "Raven, Fortress of Solitude!"

"On it," Raven replied. She conjured a portal, of which the Titans stepped through.

* * *

Fortress of Solitude.

Bruce always said that the hardest of fights was with oneself.

Superman Prime didn't expect for that old adage to mean literally. While worn out from his fights with Sinestro, Yellow Lantern and Doomsday in rapid succession, he still had enough in the tank to fight on his doppelganger's level.

"You're pathetic!" Superman said as his Heat Vision knocked Superman Prime back. "Weak!"

"At least I'm not a bloodthirsty tyrant who destroys cities and kills innocent people!" Superman Prime retorted, fists flying.

"THERE ARE NO INNOCENTS! NOT ANYMORE!" Superman fought back, knocking his good counterpart all over the fortress. "EVERYONE HAS BETRAYED ME! BRUCE! HIS SON! LUTHOR! SHAZAM! BARRY! I MADE THIS WORLD SAFE!"

This is what Superman Prime was counting on. Provoking his counterpart to lose all traces of sanity. That made him predictable, prone to making mistakes. Mistakes that would ultimately bite him in the ass. Tanking the insane Kryptonian's punches hurt like crap, though. But Superman Prime powered through the assault.

Superman Prime caught the High Councilor's fist, stopping Superman mid-rant. "No. You've become the one thing you hated."

 **WHAM.**

Superman Prime's fist bounced off his duplicate's jaw, "Either you die a hero..."

 **WHAM.**

Another punch to the face made the Tyrant of Steel stagger. "...or live long enough to become the villain."

 **POW.**

Fist met jaw and Superman was sent flying into the air. "I died once," Superman Prime deadpanned. "I will never become you..."

Superman Prime then finished by zooming after him, grabbing him, and slamming him to the floor with enough force that left an impact crater. "...and you will not touch my wife and son!" Superman Prime finished as he dove back towards Superman, driving both fists into the High Councilor's torso.

"Your reign...is over," Superman Prime said.

Superman's response to this was to unleash his Heat Vision. Superman Prime blocked it with his hand. Then he countered with his own Heat Vision. The standoff is short-lived, as Superman's prime counterpart overpowered his own Heat Vision, rendering him temporarily blinded.

The Man of Steel zoomed over, grabbed the tyrant by his throat, and slammed him against the wall. After several punches to the face, Superman flings the defeated High Councilor to the ground.

At this moment, Damian and the Titans appeared via portal. Superman Prime recognized them from earlier, but kept his focus on his counterpart.

Superman turned to what his counterpart was looking at. His eyes widened at the sight of Damian and the Titans, standing together. "Damian...you...betrayed me." Superman groaned. "I took you in when your father abandoned you...and you betrayed me…!"

"You betrayed me first," Damian deadpanned. "You tried to kill Alfred. It's over, Kal. The Regime is done."

Superman glared at Damian as he tried to get back to a vertical base, but failed, collapsing to his knees. "You of all people know that fear is what keeps the people under control, Damian," he grunted. "You will learn that lesson one day."

"I already learned that lesson," Damian said as his father appeared, along with his Prime duplicate, Prime Wonder Woman, Prime Aquaman, and Prime Green Lantern.

Superman found himself surrounded by Batman and the others. His glare turned towards his old friend. "It didn't have to be this way, Bruce," he said. "If you were only a friend...if you didn't fight me..."

"I'm sorry, Clark. I should've tried hard to save you," Batman said with genuine sorrow in his voice.

Superman wasn't in the mood for apologies. "Save it. If you want to stop me, then you'll have to kill me."

Conner ended the exchange by marching over to his fallen template and cold-cocked him across the jaw. Superman was out like a light.

"No," Superboy deadpanned. "Not even you. There's been enough killing."

While this was going on, Damian himself was coming to a decision. One that had been made with the arrival of his father and the duplicates.

Wonder Girl was surprised when the second Nightwing placed the staves in her hands. "Damian, what are you…?" she began.

"It's fine, Cassie. I need to do this," Damian replied. He then turned to Batman. "Father."

Batman turned to his son. He watched as Damian stepped forward and stopped within double arms' reach. Then, as Cyborg had done, he knelt and placed his hands behind his head.

"I was part of the Regime," he said calmly. "I am surrendering to you and the others."

"As was I," Raven said as she stepped forward and assumed the same position as Damian. She turned to the shocked Wayne. "I too, must atone for my crimes. You're not alone in that aspect, Damian."

Batman sighed. As Damian and Raven were both restrained, he said, "I'll do what I can to get the both of you out of jail as quickly as possible, okay?"

Damian nodded. "Just don't take too long, old man. Prison doesn't agree with me."


End file.
